Lazy Gardener's Little Town Farm

[Lazy Gardener]

On days when I am home and able to be diligent, I'm allowing the flock out of their run into the electronet area. Today, they learned an important lesson: While the grass MAY be greener on the other side of the fence... the fence bites so hard that it's not worth sticking their heads through to sample that nice green grass. A lot of yelling and screaming going on. I will attest to the fact that the fence bites. I was adjusting it the other day (leather gloves, and thick soled boots.) Only feeling mild tingles through my fingers... until the back of my gloved hand brushed up against a live wire. Curled my hair! I've not seen Mr. Fox since the electronet went up. However, he was around one day a week or so ago, b/c the flock was on high alert and yelling all day long. I do hope that there is now a fox running around the neighborhood with a poodle do!

Frequent rain is having a huge negative impact on local farmers. Not a single field has been cut yet this year. I bought hay from my local farmer, and he's jacked his price for MULCH HAY up to $4/bale. He says NOBODY has much hay left, and it's been too wet to get out into the fields. Even if it's dry enough to cut, weather forecast indicates that there will be an other rain system come through before the hay can get dried, baled and out of the field.

Because of this, I am considering turning a strip of my lawn into my own little hay field. I will be able to cut with scythe and dry a limited supply by hand, even when the weather is too wet for the farmers.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

GD and I planted the last open bed in the garden. I taught her how to measure out rows, and hoe the trench for seeds, how to plant those seeds and water them in. She also planted some cilantro and parsley seedlings. She then came inside, while I putzed for an other 2 hours. Where, oh where does the time go? I could spend ALL. DAY. LONG. playing in the garden.

Yesterday, I brewed a pot of iced tea. I got smart last week, and cut a lemon into wedges that were then frozen. Perfect way to spike up the tea: drop a frozen lemon wedge into it! I plan to continue stock piling frozen lemon when I find it on sale.

I used up some tomato cages to corral some of the tomatoes that were outside the bounds of the CP trellises. I hate tomato cages, but did not have much choice in the matter due to length of the rows.

Enjoying some french breakfast radishes with peanut butter. Those radishes are so very mild. GD and I planted more radish in the rows this morning, as edible row markers.

Spinach is bolting. Lettuce in greenhouse needs to be harvested, then I can plant some cucurbits there. Potatoes are budding. Won't be long before I can steal baby spuds! So far, I'm keeping up with the Colorado potato beetles and eggs. But, the little 3 striped potato beetles are now showing up. They move too quickly to hand pick. The larvae are absolutely disgusting: covering themselves in excrement.

Continue to find a tick or two on an almost daily basis. Luckily, I catch them while they are running up my arm. Nasty, evil creatures.

 

[baymule]

Time spent in the garden with the Grand Daughter is time well spent. Someday, she may have her own garden, because Grandma taught her how.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

And, so it begins: 2019 canning season. 9 jars of strawberry jello/rhubarb jam from my MIL rhubarb. An other batch simmering on the stove this morning. I think her rhubarb is more tart than mine. Mine gets liberal amounts of manure and compost, while hers is growing in an area that receives no amendment.

I should be back in business with my own rhubarb next summer. I ripped out my monster plant when I renovated the garden. There are now 2 modest sized plants growing well at the end of the asparagus/strawberry raised beds.

Tomorrow, I am going to help a friend start her very first garden. It is about 16 x 30', clay soil, and hasn't been worked for years. Her fiancee tilled it well with my Troy-Bilt. Fresh ground to work with! I told her I'd bring everything she needs to get started. I have plenty of seeds, seedlings, and soil amendments. Will also take my own tools. Looking forward to enabling a new gardener. Her brain cells will be hurting by the time I get done with her!!!

 

[Britesea]

how exciting! A virgin garden plot!

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Got some more weeding done, planted some marigold, zinnia, basil, a few more pepper and eggplant. May tuck in one more sweet potato. Garden is looking real fine. Startled a baby garter snake, pulled a tick off my hand and drowned him. He's in good company, at the bottom of a can of soapy water with lots of potato bug eggs, with a nice accompaniment of floating potato bugs. I am cautiously thinking that mulching the potatoes with coarse hay cuts down on the PB infestation. Potted up a couple tomato plants for my MIL.

sugar snaps are blooming.

Garlic is setting scapes. The garlic leaves are 36" tall. I'm thinking there will be some massive heads of garlic this year. Time to start some seedlings to go in the garlic bed. Perhaps beets, kale, cabbage and broccoli.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

2 hours later... that tick is still crawling around in the bottom of the container. They are just too evil to die. I may have to start carrying a cigarette lighter in my pocket.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

total of 22 jars of rhubarb jam. That will easily carry me through next season, even if using some of it in baking.

 

[baymule]

Nothing tastes better than home made, home canned.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Spinach in greenhouse is going to seed. Great big huge seeds! Since it's not likely that any other members of that family have been around to cross pollinate, this is an excellent opportunity for me to harvest a crop of seed for a fall or 2020 planting. Sure, seed is cheap. But, I have a real sense of accomplishment when I can harvest my own seed. In the garden, spinach is bolting as well. Still able to harvest great big huge piles of it for salads. Most recent crop of lettuce is sizing up well. GD and I planted some more a week ago.
The first thing she wanted to do yesterday was check to see how her seeds and plants were growing. YES!!!! A new gardener has been born!!! She will be here again today. Plan is to set up some window box style planters on the deck full of herbs. I'll dedicate one to lettuce and radish as well. It's nice to be able to grab a quick sandwich garnish. Deck planting is also impervious to slug attack! It's also time to plant some greens in deep flats. Some to go in the garden, and some for the greenhouse.

Still have winter squash seedlings to get in the ground. May be too late to harvest a crop... but... we'll see! If first frost is delayed, I should be ok. Rain has been a huge limiting factor in getting stuff done in the yard. May be too late to harvest a crop... but... we'll see! If first frost is delayed, I should be ok.

Pole beans are reaching for the sky. GD and I gave them some jute to climb yesterday. Jute is my preferred material b/c it only lasts a season before it starts to decompose. It will readily break down over the winter if in contact with the ground.

Started a weed compost tea bucket.

Planning out a grape trellis in my head. Need to transfer the design from brain cell to reality.

Hubby and I are planning a pergola for the deck. Saw one that a friend made last weekend. Stupid simple in design. shade cloth for the top really cuts the summer heat. Hope to make it out of cedar so it will weather naturally.